Wednesday, November 23, 2011

We all face disappointment in life at one time or another. Whether it be not getting a job we were hoping to be offered or our spouse letting us down, we will face disappointment at one point. During this time we need to remember that God will never let us down. We need to remain faithful and true to God and his word.

The verse that just struck me the most in this week's reading is 1 Peter 2:6...

As the Scripture expresses it,"I am placing a stone in Jerusalem,a chose cornerstone, and anyone who believes in himwill never be disappointed."

Christians will sometimes be put to shame or face disappointment in this life, but their trust in God is never misplaced. God will not let them down. We can safely put our confidence in him because the eternal life he promises is certain.

What disappointment are you facing in life? What hurt or shame are you experiencing? Have you truly trusted in God during this time.

I think about what my family and I go through with autism. The struggles that my son with autism faces on a daily basis, on an hourly basis, on a minute by minute basis. I think about the struggles that my son without autism faces as he's trying to understand autism and how he can truly connect with his twin brother. I look at my husband as he pours himself hour after hour into work so that he can financially provide anything that Sean may need. I watch as he still continues to worry about our children's future. I feel the disappointment that I feel myself. The disappointment that makes me, as the mom, feel guilty. Guilty for feeling any kind of disappointment that has anything to do with my child. You see, it's not my child that has disappointed me. It's the struggles that he faces that get to me. However, these struggles are related to my child so it really throws me through an emotional loop.

It's during these struggles and disappointment that we need to remember that we can trust in God. If the only thing we can remember during our hardships is to trust in the Lord, than we will make it.

As we all know, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Let's take the time to remember what we are truly thankful for in our lives. Our children, our spouses, food on the table, family, our health, God's word, and so much more. Take the time tomorrow to see the blessings and not the hardships.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

I know this may seem like only 10 verses, but I promise you these verses hold so much information in them. Spend this week reading, memorizing and studying these verses. Discover how these verses speak to your life now. If you read these verses and don't really get anything out of them, keep reading them. Read them as often as you can.

Join me on Wednesday November 23rd to share what you've learned through God's Word.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

It's funny how on Sundays I'm ready. I'm ready to fight the good fight for God. I leave church feeling refreshed and armored to battle for the week. Around Thursday, I start to fade. I get overwhelmed, worry and start to doubt. What am I doing wrong? I'm a horrible mother. Why is my son still struggling? It's just not fair. Then it's Sunday again. I get out of church feeling refreshed and ready to fight my battle.

It's very easy for us to "slip up" in our Christian walk. We are tempted by so many things in this life to keep us from doing what God needs us to do. Whether it's a gossip session, a movie about adultery that intrigues us or a little white lie that we feel won't harm anyone, it's far to easy for us to go back to our ways before becoming a Christian.

1 Peter 13-15 reminds us to be prepared for these set backs. Be ready to jump back into your Christian ways and live a holy life. Peter reminds us that all of our earthly things will disappear one day. The Life Application Study Bible reminds us that Only God's Word, will and works will remain forever.

We need to keep this in mind during our walk with autism as well. We will have the setbacks and regression that can very easily knock us to the ground. However, if we remember that God's will, His Word and his works are what matter the most then our setbacks will be so much easier to handle.

Verse that meant the most to me:"Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God." - 1 Peter 1:21

God,
We thank you for your Word and all of the advice you have given us. Please reach us during our "slip ups" and help us to quickly return to you and your Will.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Take the next week and truly dive into His Word. Take the time to pray, learn, read and re-read 1 Peter 1: 13-25. See if you can summarize in your own words what you've read. Ask yourself how this particular reading fits into your life. Then pray again for guidance on what God is asking of you.

It's very easy to become distracted while reading the Bible. I believe it's Satan's way of trying to get us as far away from God as possible. I can't tell you how many times I've sat down to read a few Bible verses and my mind is wandering. When this happens, I stop, pray and ask God to keep me focused. Then I start the verse over.

I love forward to discussing these verses with you on Wednesday November 9th!

* Please note, due to the upcoming holidays, we have chosen to "discuss" each reading every other week. Therefore, you will have an entire week to study each reading. We look forward to you joining in on the discussions!